Natural disaster risk in Marion County, Tennessee
Tennessee · population 28,731 · FIPS 47115
Overall: relatively low risk
Marion County has a composite risk score of 58.2 out of 100 — higher than 58% of US counties. It ranks 45 of 95 in Tennessee (1 = highest risk). Its highest-rated hazards are strong wind, tornado, cold wave.
Drought now: Yes: D2 Severe Drought, 3 weeks
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 19.06% of Marion County is in D2 Severe Drought. Some of it has been at D2 or worse for 3 weeks in a row. In all, 99.54% of the county is in drought (D1 to D4).
Drought in Marion County: the last 52 weeks · droughtmonitor.unl.edu
The U.S. Drought Monitor is jointly produced by the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Map courtesy of NDMC.
Risk, loss, vulnerability and resilience
| Measure | Rating and score |
|---|---|
| Overall risk Expected annual loss, adjusted for social vulnerability and community resilience. |
Relatively low 58.2 |
| Expected annual loss About $16.4 million a year, on average, across all 18 hazards. |
Relatively low 53.9 |
| Social vulnerability Higher means people may find it harder to prepare and recover. |
Relatively high 64 |
| Community resilience Higher means a stronger ability to prepare, adapt and recover. |
Relatively low 28.5 |
Risk by hazard
FEMA's risk rating for each of 18 natural hazards in Marion County, highest first. "Not applicable" means the hazard is not modelled here.
| Hazard | Risk rating and score |
|---|---|
| Strong wind | Relatively moderate 83 |
| Tornado | Relatively moderate 81 |
| Cold wave | Relatively moderate 78 |
| Winter weather | Relatively moderate 63 |
| Landslide | Relatively low 81 |
| Earthquake | Relatively low 70 |
| Inland (riverine) flooding | Relatively low 61 |
| Drought | Relatively low 52 |
| Ice storm | Relatively low 44 |
| Lightning | Relatively low 34 |
| Wildfire | Very low 59 |
| Hurricane | Very low 37 |
| Heat wave | Very low 27 |
| Hail | Very low 20 |
| Avalanche | Not applicable |
| Coastal flooding | Not applicable |
| Tsunami | Not applicable |
| Volcanic activity | Not applicable |
FEMA disaster declarations for Marion County
Federal declarations that designated Marion County, since 1 Jan 2024 (the period this site keeps from OpenFEMA). Older declarations are in FEMA's own dataset.
Yes. Marion County has been named in 3 FEMA declarations since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4898-TN (Severe Winter Storm), declared 6 Feb 2026.
| Declaration | Kind | Incident | Declared | Individual assistance here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR-4898-TN | Major disaster | Severe Winter Storm | 6 Feb 2026 | No |
| EM-3635-TN | Emergency | Severe Winter Storm | 24 Jan 2026 | No |
| EM-3625-TN | Emergency | Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding | 2 Apr 2025 | No |
All FEMA declarations in Tennessee, with estimated apply-by dates · Open FEMA deadlines
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s). Dataset: Disaster Declarations Summaries - v2.
How to read these ratings
- Ratings run in five steps: very low, relatively low, relatively moderate, relatively high and very high. They compare a county with every other US county; they are not a measure of danger on their own.
- Scores run from 0 to 100 and are national percentiles. The bar shows the score: a score of 80 means a higher value than 80% of US counties.
- Overall risk combines the expected annual loss with social vulnerability and community resilience.
- Expected annual loss is the average yearly loss to buildings, people and agriculture the model expects from all 18 hazards.
- Social vulnerability describes how hard it may be for people to prepare for and recover from a disaster. Higher is worse.
- Community resilience describes a community's ability to prepare, adapt and recover. Higher is better.
- "Not applicable" means FEMA does not model that hazard there (for example, hurricanes far inland).
About this data
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, version 1.20, released December 2025, published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (US public domain). About the National Risk Index. The index is a model of relative risk built from historical hazard records, what is exposed and community factors. It is not a forecast, it does not describe any single property, and it is not insurance or financial advice. For decisions about a specific address, check FEMA's flood maps and your local emergency management office.
Questions
What is the natural disaster risk in Marion County, Tennessee?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall risk in Marion County as relatively low, with a score of 58.2 out of 100 (higher than 58% of US counties). That is a comparison with other US counties, not a forecast.
What are the biggest natural hazards in Marion County?
The hazards rated highest for Marion County are strong wind (relatively moderate), tornado (relatively moderate), cold wave (relatively moderate).
What is the flood risk in Marion County?
FEMA rates inland (river and rain) flooding risk in Marion County as relatively low. For a specific property, check the FEMA flood map and your local floodplain office.
Has Marion County had a FEMA disaster declaration?
Yes. Marion County has been named in 3 FEMA declarations since 1 Jan 2024. The latest is DR-4898-TN (Severe Winter Storm), declared 6 Feb 2026.
Is Marion County in a drought?
Yes. On the U.S. Drought Monitor map valid 13 October 2026, 19.06% of Marion County is in D2 Severe Drought. Some of it has been at D2 or worse for 3 weeks in a row. In all, 99.54% of the county is in drought (D1 to D4).
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